


Lack of Sleep

by AbsoluteCreed



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, But Kylo also is a butt and doesn't take care of himself either, Fainting, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, M/M, Mostly Hux being a butt and not taking care of himself, Mostly Hux-centric but Kylo pops up from time to time, Sick Character, Sickfic, Sleep Deprivation, loss of consciousness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-05 11:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14043714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsoluteCreed/pseuds/AbsoluteCreed
Summary: Just a collection of drabbles with Hux pushing himself too hard, and his body punishing him for his choices. One can only go so far, without sleep and food. Kylo also appears in these drabbles, wearing himself out to the point of exhaustion.These boys need to take care of themselves.(these are also posted on my tumblr!)





	1. Go to Sleep

_Go to sleep._

_Go to sleep._

It was a constant stabbing, like a knife, behind his eyeballs.

_Go to sleep._

_Go to sleep._

Hux’s body and mind longed for sleep. He couldn’t recall the last time he managed to get a good amount of sleep. Was it weeks ago? Months? He couldn’t remember. His mind was short-circuiting, and he was doing everything within his power not to fall apart. Too much had to be done right now. Too much. Too much to be able to submit to sleep. He couldn’t sleep. Not right now. No, not now.

Maybe later. Perhaps later. But not now.

Hux knew there had to be a limit to how far he could push his body. Nights without sleep were wreaking havoc on him. His appetite was failing him, and he could barely keep down a ration bar, much less a full meal. He ran on tarine tea, and stims. The tea was always welcome, a favorite of his despite the bitter flavor. The stims weren’t as welcome, but necessary to keep him going. But the stims left behind side-effects he’d rather do without.

Shortness of breath.

Rapid heart beat.

Muscles twitching at the injection site.

The need for sleep grew stronger.

_Go to sleep._

_Go to sleep._

Days were passing in a blur. There was too much to catch up on, too much to do. Now that kriffing Kylo Ren was Supreme Leader, there was so much to do. Hux wanted to scream, until he was spitting blood. With Ren at the head, he was going to bring the First Order down. He didn’t know how to lead. He didn’t know how to command an army. He would be the reason that the First Order would fail.

General Armitage Hux wouldn’t allow that. He would not allow something that he and Rae Sloane helped create. This Order that he worked so hard to build up and make successful would not be brought down, because some damned man-child didn’t know how to run it. And by the Gods, Hux was going to make sure he knew how. Even if it killed him.

_Go to sleep._

_Go to sleep._

The stabbing is more pronounced at night, his bed having been long forgotten. How long has it been, since he had last slept in it? He doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. The only thing his weary eyes are focused on right now, is his datapad, flashing with all sorts of alerts. Too many of them. Questions, concerns, reports...They were all blurring together. Everything was blurring together, his ears were ringing, his body felt hot and aching, and something inside of him just wanted to scream.

Hux felt himself come apart, but he quickly put himself back together again, practically chasing down the rest of his tea, already getting up to make more. How many cups did that make? Five? Ten? He lost count after three.

_Go to sleep._

_Go to sleep._

Hux didn’t like looking in the mirror, after a morning sonic shower. He was practically wasting away. The bags under his eyes were very pronounced, and his face was looking rather gaunt, cheekbones pronounced. A delirious laugh bubbled up from somewhere inside of his weary body. Just like Wilhuff Tarkin. He looked about as gaunt as that man did in pictures. The laughter didn’t stop. It kept coming and coming, over flowing until he was on the ground, laughing maniacally, crying because it hurt to laugh so much, and he was wasting breath. But it wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

_Go to sleep._

_Go to sleep._

Its when he finally encounters Kylo Ren that he realizes a few things. One, the man is too expressive for his own good. The damned mask gone, his emotions are there on the surface, easy to read. Hux found it easier to deal with him with the mask, than without it. Two, watching Ren falter in his steps and do a double take at him was oddly satisfying. It was nice to throw this haughty man for a loop. And three...the look he gave him nearly allowed Hux to break apart right there on the bridge. There was just something about the way those brown eyes looked at him, that made Hux feel like it was okay to crash. That it was okay to break apart, from everything that was going on.

That it was okay to finally sleep.

Hux hated himself that he felt comfort around this man. But he couldn’t help it. Before he knew it, he found himself being dragged away by the Knight--no, Supreme Leader--and away from the bridge. Where was he going? More punishment? The bruises from last time were just now healing. If he got any more, he wasn’t sure if his body would be able to heal from them. There was too much to do. He protested, weakly struggling against Ren’s grip, but there was no way he could get away from him.

Words spilled from his mouth, and he was hoping that some of it was coherent. Static noise fell from his lips, that’s all he heard. Static. Was he speaking static, too? Had his body finally broke down and made him worthless to speak? He continued speaking, attempting to increase the volume, berating Ren on how he was wasting time, that things needed to be done. Meetings needed to be held, reports needed to be read...

_Go to sleep._

_Go. To. Sleep._

The stabbing pain came back in his head, and Hux nearly stumbled. Or maybe he did. He didn’t feel upright anymore, and only felt what he could only describe as an iron bar of an arm around him, holding him up. Or was he standing? He didn’t know. Hux didn’t know anything. The stabbing pain was intense, to the point where he was pretty sure his head was splitting. Great, that was the first part of him that was going to break apart. His head. His mind. He was finally losing it. And he had worked so hard...

Hux was aware of something wet on his face. Tears?

He was also aware of a hand threading through his hair. Gloved, leather.

And soft words spoke, oh so soft...Hux almost missed them. But the words cushioned him and, for the first time in forever, he felt himself drift away, like a leaf on a pond. Gentle, calming...

Gone was the pain.

Gone was the feeling of breaking apart.

Ren was holding him up...and together. His words were patching him up. A beaten, broken man.

Only one word swept through Hux’s mind, before all went blissfully quiet.

_Sleep._


	2. Needing Help

Hux hated waking up like this.

He hated being woken up by having lights shone down on him. That was his biggest pet peeve.

The other, was waking up on some sort of hard surface, with hands gently patting his cheeks to try and get him to stir. 

He could practically feel the bodies surrounding him, and it was suffocating. Concern was one thing, but this was overdoing it. There was just too much going on right now.

The murmur of voices made his head hurt more than it already was.

The closeness of bodies made his stomach roil nervously.

And the patting of his cheeks was just annoying him, causing the other two symptoms to worsen.

One moment, he’d been giving orders on the bridge. He had fully expected himself to turn heel and leave, heading to his office to finish up more paperwork on adjusting the budget with their new Supreme Leader...

Next thing he knew, someone was saying his name, and he found himself on the ground.

Hux finally found enough strength in his limbs to swat away whoever was daring to touch him. He tried to growl out something, but it only came out as a grunt. His vision was still swimming, causing the dark colors of the bridge and their uniforms to blur into a sickly array of colors. He swallowed the bile in his throat, as he struggled to stand.

More hands were on him. Touching. Unwanted.

No.

He was aware of himself saying something, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He was pretty sure it came out as a growl though, as those hands were swiftly gone from his body. Good. He didn’t want to be touched. Not by them. They didn’t deserve to touch him. And why were they touching him? He could get to his feet just fine without them. He didn’t need help.

...He needed help, but not like this.

Hux swayed on his feet, as he finally stood, giving a glare to the concerned officers around him. He attempted to bark out an order, but it only came out as a weak wheeze, before he was able to turn back around and head off of the bridge. Finally a growl came up from his throat, swatting away a concerned hand that reached out for him.

_‘Don’t touch me.’_

It felt...invigorating to finally say something, but that feeling didn’t last. He wandered down the hall, going way past his office. His head felt funny again; light and woozy. When was the last time he had slept? When he last ate? He didn’t know, nor particularly care. A small voice told him to go to the medbay, but he quickly shut it up. He didn’t want to show them his weakness. That he couldn’t push himself to his limits to try and get work done. So that the order didn’t collapse.

He didn’t need them touching him. His skin crawled at the thought of gloved hands or droids poking and prodding at him. He shuddered, his arms wrapping around himself. He almost stopped his walking, as he realized how thin his own frame felt in his arms. What was he doing? What was going on with him? Why couldn’t he push past his own weakness, and finally get something done with the First Order?

He turned sharply around the corner...

And found himself, once again, waking up in a different position.

This one was a bit more disorienting. He wasn’t on his feet...but he wasn’t on the ground, either. He felt like he was floating...and he started to panic. Why was he floating? Was he dying? No...no! He couldn’t die! Not now! Not when there was so much to do...!

He tried struggling, a strangled noise escaping from his throat. Hands were on him...but they weren’t ‘bad’ hands. These were around his shoulders, and tucked up under his knees. Hands...connected to arms. Arms that were holding him up. No...no, they were carrying him. But who dared to pick him up like this? Not like this, he didn’t like this, being carried around like the useless slip of paper he was--

But a voice came. It wasn’t like his officers, and it wasn’t his troopers. Hux recognized the voice...even if he couldn’t hear any words being said. He was up against someone’s chest, held close, something warm wrapped around him. But he was already so warm...yet, this warm thing was comforting. And it smelled of  _him_. It smelled of the battlefield, it smelled lightly of dirt, and it smelled of burnt ozone.

That damnable  _lightsaber_.

The voice spoke again, softer this time. No words...none that Hux could hear, but the voice was a deep rumble in the chest he was curled up against. A rumble that shook him down to his weary bones, yet made them warm at the same time. Hux found himself floating, and melting all the same.

He stopped his struggles, feeling himself melting--sinking--into something more comfortable; much more comfortable than waking up on the hard ground. But just before he could, actual words were spoken. This time, he could hear them. Broken...but still clear.

_‘Feverish...Worked...too much...Collapsed...told five times...Pushing yourself...Has to stop...Hux...need to sleep...Sleep...’_

Hux wanted to protest that he couldn’t. There was work to be done. He could still work. He really could! ...Who was he trying to fool? Hux didn’t know any more. He didn’t know anything anymore. And at the moment, he was more than willing to not know a thing. At least for a few hours. Or even days. It didn’t matter...

The only things that mattered, where  _his_  cape wrapped around his brittle body, holding him together. Those strong arms, holding him up against that broad, warm chest. And that deep, rumbling voice that spoke until Hux sank down down down...

Down into that dark abyss that was sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check me out on Tumblr (absolutecreed)!


	3. Fallen Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 'mighty' Knight of Ren realizes he's human, and falls rather ill. Hux is there to watch over him.

It was almost...odd seeing him like this.

Kylo Ren, the Master of the Knights of Ren...struck down with a sickness.

Hux didn’t even know it was possible for Ren to get sick, with him having the Force and whatnot. But despite him having the kriffing Force, he was only human--and humans got sick.

He’d done the stupid thing (though Hux knew he was the pot calling the kettle black, as he’d done the same thing as well), and tried to work through his sickness, until it finally took him down. He had stalked onto the bridge, and he and Ren had their usual arguements. But when Ren spun on his heel to turn away, he wobbled. He managed to make two unsteady steps towards the door, before collapsing in a black heap.

Motionless.

Once the stunned shock faded, someone finally called medical, and Kylo Ren was whisked away to the medbay. Hux found himself following. Why not? While Ren was a man-child who threw tantrums at every opportunity, he was still his co-commander. He needed to see if he had to issue a quarantine or if this was just an illness bound to the Knight of Ren.

Turns out, while what he had was mildly contagious, it wasn’t enough to keep him in the medbay. Though Hux suspected they didn’t want Ren waking up in the medbay and wrecking it, for the umpteenth time. Even the medical droids were being skittish around the unconscious Ren, giving him a few injections, and hooking him up to a mobile IV, which was giving him fluids and vitamins.

With that done, Hux followed them as they transported Ren to his quarters...only to find them a mess. In some delirious fit (or maybe just a normal tantrum, Hux didn’t know), he’d taken his lightsaber and slashed not only his walls, but his bed. Only scorched remains were left; he’d completely trashed it. He didn’t even have a sofa in the sparsely decorated room.

Hux decided then to have Ren transferred to his quarters. He’d keep an eye on him there, and work as well. He’d be able to tell the medbay if anything changed with him easy enough.

And that’s where he found himself now.

Hux had pulled up a chair by Ren’s bedside, and worked from his data pad. The man barely moved, other than his slightly uneven breathing. Hux found himself pulling off his glove and laying it gently against Ren’s forehead. He nearly jerked it back, feeling how warm his skin was. The Knight of Ren was normally warm (he was practically a walking heater, for kriff’s sake), but this...was unnatural, even for him.

Setting his data pad aside, Hux went into his ‘fresher and soaked a washcloth with cool water. He recalled Rae Sloane doing the same thing for him, when he got sick under her care. The memory brought a rare smile to his face, as he wrung out the cloth, coming back into his room. Ren had shifted slightly, but not by much. He was still sweating, even though his robes had been removed, and he was in a pair of loose pants and a sleeveless shirt. How the medbay found those clothes, that fit someone his size perfectly, was beyond him.

Just as he set the cool washcloth on Ren’s forehead, his eyes snapped open with a gasp, and a hand lashed out, grabbing Hux’s wrist in an almost crushing grip. He shouldn’t have this much strength, for one so riddled with fever. Still, Hux couldn’t help but let out a soft hiss of pain, feeling his poor wrist being crushed by Ren’s grip.

“Relax.” he ground out, looking over at Ren who was staring at him with wide, unfocused eyes. For a split moment of fear, he thought he was going to get tossed against the opposite wall, being thought of as an enemy. Instead, Ren’s gaze softened a little, his eyes still unfocused. Yet his grip around Hux’s wrist didn’t slacken, “You passed out, you kriffing idiot. You’re sick. High fever. You’re in my quarters, because you trashed yours. Great job, by the way.”

“Yours...” Ren croaked out, slowly relaxing. Though, judging by the way his eyes were fluttering, he was losing his fight with sleep, “Sick....oh...right...I was...”

Finally his hand fell away from Hux’s wrist, who couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of relief, as he adjusted the cool washcloth on his forehead, “Rest. You need it. I’m here, if you need anything.”

As he pulled back, he saw that Ren’s eyes were closed once again, his features passive. And that made Hux pause a bit. He’d been so used to seeing Ren with that damned mask, that it was very strange to see him without it. His features were too boyish for a brute like him. Full lips, prominent nose, wavy soft hair, and warn brown eyes that practically bared his soul....

Hux realized he was staring, and blushed darkly, quickly sitting back down in the chair next to the bed. He knew he shouldn’t stay so close to him, not with him being sick and all. He knew he was going to catch whatever Ren had, he just knew it. But...in the meantime...at least he knew where he was. He knew Hux was here. He didn’t want to know how Ren would react, if he found himself alone...

He jumped, as Ren made a soft noise. Thinking he woke up, he glanced over at him, only to see his passive features twisted into something uncomfortable, as he shifted about the bed. Large hands grasped at the covers, his noises turning more into whimpers and whines. Hux knew too well what this was--a nightmare. A fever-induced nightmare. ...Which were some of the worst...

Unsure of what to do, he set his data pad aside before hesitantly reaching out and running his fingers through Ren’s hair. He recalled Sloane doing the same for him, when he had those delirious nightmares. A simple action, but it worked wonders on him. And her soothing voice seemed to cut through the nightmare, like a heated knife through butter. He wasn’t sure if his voice was soothing to Ren, but it was worth a shot...

“Relax...it’s just a dream...” he said softly, letting his fingers stroke along Ren’s hair slowly, rhythmically, “You’re safe...It’s okay...i’m here...Nothing can get you...It’s alright...”

He continued speaking soothingly to Ren, until he finally calmed down. Hux could hardly believe it. He couldn’t believe that had worked on this overgrown manchild. And yet, here he was, no longer tossing and turning in delirious discomfort.

But just as he pulled his hand away, Ren started to whine softly. Hux put his fingers back in Ren’s hair for a few moments, before pulling away again. Another whimper, that was only silenced when Hux’s hand returned to his head. He sighed...but he couldn’t help but smile softly at him, as he gathered his data pad back up. He could work with one hand, easy enough.

“...Rest well, Ren...” he said softly, stroking his hair, as he worked on reports on his data pad.

He missed the soft, content smile on Ren’s face.


	4. Hated Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is getting on Hux's nerves. Especially his body. Doesn't his body realize that he needs to focus on work, and not it?

Hux found himself hating everything and everyone lately.

He hated how some officers weren’t standing up as straight as they should. Even the slightest angle off had irritation racing through him. If someone breathed the wrong way, or coughed too loudly, or Force help them  _yawned_ , he was likely to be set off. And it went without saying that he hated Kylo Ren. The manchild was now the  _Supreme Leader_  of all things.

Why.

Why.

 _Why_.

The man was too emotional to be in a seat of power. As was evident by the bruises throbbing on Hux’s body. An emotional man wasn’t likely to make rational decisions. But an emotional man that wouldn’t listen to a voice of reason (aka Hux) was even worse. The First Order was going to fold under Kylo’s rule, if Hux didn’t scramble and work hard to keep up the Order that he had invested so much blood and sweat in.

And another thing Hux found himself hating...was his own body. Which wasn’t anything new, but especially lately he found himself hating it.

His ‘tomb of flesh’ required too much maintenance. Regular sleep, eating habits, exercise, intake of vitamins...It was all such a waste to do those things, when he could be working. So he did that instead--he worked. He had to work, he had to keep working in order to keep the First Order afloat. If Ren wasn’t going to do it, then by the Stars, he was going to.

So what if his already thin body was getting thinner?

So what if his already pale skin was getting paler?

So what if the dark circles under his eyes started getting darker?

He had a First Order to run--his body could take a back seat, until he was for sure that things would run smoothly. When he thought that the First Order would be fine without him for a few hours, then and only then would he rest.

...If only his body had the same idea.

He really,  _really_ did hate it.

 

* * *

 

 

Hux had first started realizing his body was rebelling against him, when the headaches started. The only thing that managed to make them bearable was either caf or stims. But if he had caf, then his stomach usually rebelled against him. His usual tea as well sometimes didn’t want to stay down, much to his disappointment. Small nibbles of ration bars here and there kept his stomach in line, but still did nothing against the headaches.

Following the headaches were dizzy spells. Was his body really rebelling against him that much? After Crait sure, sleep hardly came to him at all (sometimes not even at all), but surely his body could wait until his work was finished, right? He did find himself catching cat naps in his office, laying his head down for a few fitful minutes at a time. He didn’t like it but if his body needed sleep THAT badly, the naps would have to do.

Ooh, but he was so wrong. And his body was soon going to make him see that.

Hux had been issuing orders from the bridge, as per usual. His body felt oddly warmer, but he dismissed it. He did have some caf today, and that seemed to warm him up. It was easily ignored. The lights seemed a bit bright today, but again easily ignored. The ship’s engines seemed to be running a bit louder, too. That was a bit more concerning--they were usually at a dull hum. Why were they so loud? Were the  _Supremacy’s_ repairs still under way?

...Was he aboard the  _Finalizer_  or  _Supremacy_?

Hux had turned to ask...something....What was he going to ask again? The question died in his throat, before it even reached his lips.

Next thing he knew, gravity felt like it had shifted, everything was dark, and he could hear what sounded like a lot of voices surrounding him. For a split second, Hux thought he had fallen into his own personal Hell, with the voices of the lost Hosnian system haunting him...

But he voices weren’t tormenting him. They were simply saying his name. As if they were from far away, or in a long hall, and they were at opposite ends. And why was it so dark? The crashing headache came back, and he grimaced, letting out a groan. It was then that he realized that the reason it was so dark, was because his eyes were  _shut_.

“He’s coming to, give him some space.”

Coming to? From what?

Hux peeled his eyes open, squinting through the bright lights. Gods, they were bright, so bright. Why? He could make out vague shapes above him, that looked like his bridge officers. And they were surrounding him. Looking down on him. As his vision cleared a bit more, he could see that they weren’t mocking or gloating at him (thank the Gods), but were rather concerned. Very concerned, in fact.

He’d take that into account later, but right now he found himself on the floor, his eyes had been closed, his headache was so much  _worse_ now, and someone had mentioned him coming to?

“General, you shouldn’t get up--” started Mitaka, who was kneeling beside him, as Hux slowly sat up. Mitaka held a hand out to him, but Hux swatted it away with a growl--or what he hoped was a growl, but it sounded more like a weak grunt than anything. Hells, he felt horrible...and now everyone was around him. They could see that he was weak.

Hux felt his fight or flight sense raise up quickly, but his body’s weakness quickly stomped that out.

“‘m fine. Leave me be.” snapped Hux, inwardly wincing at how weak his voice sounded. While he was finally sitting up, he found his legs didn’t want to work with him. He wanted them under him, so he could stand. They felt like lead. Well that was just great...

“General, do you--”

“I said, leave me be!” Hux felt himself swell a little with pride, his snarl actually sounding strong enough to cause those around him to actually step back. Good. See, he wasn’t weak. As for what had just occurred, with him having been on the ground... Whatever, he’d deal with it later.

Maneuvering himself a little, he finally got his legs to work and slowly started to stand up. The moment he tried to be vertical, his world shifted sickeningly. He felt hands grab him--Mitaka--and he growled, but was helpless to stop the younger man from helping him. A small voice in the back of his (still throbbing) head actually thanked the Lieutenant, as with his help, Hux was able to stand on his own two feet. Still wobbling slightly and nothing was truly in focus, but at least he was standing.

He’d figure out the rest later.

He nodded his thanks to Mitaka, watching him return the salute, hesitating a little with worry, before finally going back to his station. Good man. But just as he started to feel better, things started feeling worse again. His headache pounded away, making that engine roar get louder in his ears. His vision was starting to grey at the edges. He tried focusing on the starts outside the bridge’s view port, but they too were starting to blend sickeningly. He thought he heard someone say his name. How long had he been standing there? And was someone just saying his name, because they were concerned?

They had work to be doing, they couldn’t waste their time being concerned with him. He’d worry about himself later, when his own work was finished.

But that meant returning to his office. And that required moving his legs. And Hux had a sick feeling that, if he dared to move, he’d be falling over. He couldn’t afford to look weak in front of his crew. Not again.

...Again, his body had different plans.

This time, Hux felt his body go limp, as if he was a puppet and his puppeteer had just cut his strings. His vision went grey, then white, then completely black, as that rushing sound in his ears got louder.

Rushing...not roaring. It wasn’t the engines...

Hux was vaguely aware of something pressing against the small of his back, before the darkness consumed him and he knew nothing more.

 

+++

 

This time, waking up was much more of a chore. Especially since it was so quiet. The roaring of the engines--no, the roaring of blood (or whatever) in his ears had finally toned down. And he was warm--pleasantly so. He was laying on something soft, and for the first time in a long time, he felt extremely comfortable.

Hux opened his eyes.

Which, as it turned out, also was quite a chore. Where ever he was, it was dark. ...But not completely so. The lights were dimmed. And the room looked familiar, but he was too tired (there he said it, he was  _tired_ ) to think more on that. But his fight-or-flight instinct decided to come up belatedly, and he sat up quickly with a gasp.

A mistake.

He was aware of footsteps, and something, or someone, saying his name, and he was out once more.

This time, when he woke up, he was much more careful. He slowly opened his eyes and let them adjust. He realized that the reason why this room was familiar, was because it was his room. These were his quarters. Which meant that this was his bed. He slowly turned his head, and was aware of something in his field of vision--tall and shiny, and thin. A pole. Eyes went up, and he saw a bag attached to the pole, with tubes leading down from it. His eyes followed the tubes, and found that they were connected to his arm.

An IV drip?

“Hux.”

This time, he heard his name clearly.

Hux weakly turned his head to see Kylo Ren, of all people, approaching him. This time, his fight-or-flight response didn’t ‘activate’, and he assumed that he was really tired. But when Kylo came closer, he didn’t look like the mad-man that was running the First Order. Without the mask, his face was so expressive, damn him. And right now, his large, brown eyes were full of concern, and relief.

So unlike the man that tossed him like a rag doll on Crait.

“You’re in your quarters.” continued Kylo, sitting on the edge of Hux’s bed, “I came to the bridge to speak with you, but you collapsed. According to your bridge officer, that was your second collapse within minutes. I rushed you to the medbay--”

Hux groaned.

“Hush. I rushed you to the medbay, because...Hells Hux, you were feather light in my arms. Your body was running a fever from exhaustion, and your pulse was so dull. The medics determined you were suffering from extreme exhaustion, as well as a lack of food and water, combined with little to no sleep. It’s a wonder you didn’t die on the spot, Hux, with how hard you’ve been working...”

“But I...” said Hux, before his voice croaked out, causing him to cough dryly. Gods, his throat was dry.  _Just how long have I been out?_

“Two days.” said Kylo, reading Hux’s thoughts, ignoring the glare he was getting from the General. He got up, going into Hux’s kitchenette and coming back with a glass of water. He set the glass aside, as he carefully sat Hux up, propping him up against some pillows. Hux realized then, just how weak he was. He could barely hold himself up, let alone resist Kylo handling him.

In a way, he found he didn’t mind.

Kylo helped Hux hold onto the glass, before tipping it up against his lips. Hux, after the first sip of water, realized just how thirsty he was. But even he knew that, if he started chugging it, it wasn’t going to end well.

“After the medbay, I brought you back to your quarters.” continued Kylo, watching Hux drink, “Figured you’d rather wake up here, than in there. A medical droid brought up an IV drip for you--you were so low on nutrients and fluids, that it was necessary to have this. You did wake up briefly yesterday, but you sat up too quickly, and fainted into my arms again, once I reached the bed.”

Hux finished the glass of water, letting Kylo have it, before turning to look at him, “...I don’t faint...” was his response, though he knew it was a weak one. Hux knew exactly what happened. He fainted--twice--on the bridge, then again when he had briefly woken up that time. And he was pretty sure it wasn’t the fever that was making his cheeks burn, as he forced himself to look down at his hands.

“...I had to keep working, Re--Supreme Lead--”

“Just Ren. Or Kylo. While we’re alone like this.”

Hux nodded, though he did raise his brows in surprise. Was Kylo having a change of heart?

“...Ren, I had to keep working.” continued Hux, still refusing to look up, “You’re not really a good ruler. You’re too emotional. You don’t like listening to reason, even when its plain and obvious that you should. I have to work hard, in order to keep the First Order from collapsing. I gave this Order my sweat and blood, giving it a bit more isn’t going to hurt. I’ll rest when everything is running smoothly.”

He blinked, realizing the words he said, at the beginning of his explanation. He glanced up curiously at Kylo to see his reaction...but instead of anger or frustration, that concern was still there. And Hux found  _that_  frustrating, “Don’t look at me like that. Like I’m weak, and need protecting. It’s...”

Kylo blinked, before tilting his head, almost looking too innocent, “Hux, you’re hardly weak. A weaker man would’ve keeled over days ago, with how hard you’ve been working. But at the same time...I need you, Hux. I can’t have you running yourself ragged like this.”

Hux opened his mouth, before closing it. He blinked, and then blinked again. Had...he heard that right? Kylo  _needed_  him?

“You’re right.” admitted Kylo, clasping his hands together, looking down at them, “I’m not meant to rule. I don’t even know what I’m doing, really. But the First Order respects you, and listens to you. I...need your help with that. I need help with the technical side of things. So...please...”

Hux watched him, before sighing heavily, “...Gods, don’t beg. Don’t sound so pathetic. If you needed my help, you could’ve asked--”

Kylo looked at him, giving him a look.

“...Right. You asking me for help. Never would happen.” said Hux, chuckling softly, “Well, as you so stated, I’m useless right now. So, once I’m better, I’ll help you with a few things. But don’t expect me to hold your hand constantly. You do need to learn these things on your own.”

How Kylo’s face could look so childishly excited, and yet so handsome at the same time was beyond Hux, but dammit the man could do it. His face split into a grin, before he calmed himself and nodded, “Thanks. And you do know getting better, means getting some sleep.”

Hux huffed, but again was useless as Kylo moved to lay him back down. Now that he was horizontal on his soft bed, that tiredness was creeping back. Being careful of the IV lines in his arm, Hux moved to roll onto his side, curling up slightly. Kylo pulled the blanket over him, before starting to stroke his hair. Hux almost snapped at him, to tell him to stop.

...Almost.

Hux didn’t know if it was the exhaustion, or the calming sensation that came from his hair being stroked, but he soon found himself dropping off into much, much needed sleep rather quickly.

He’d give into his body’s demands.

 _This_ time.

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on Tumblr (absolutecreed)!


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